Spinning bike equipped with a sensor device

ABSTRACT

A spinning bike includes a frame, a flywheel connected to the frame, a magnetic resistance device for providing magnetic resistance against the flywheel, an adjustment assembly for moving the magnetic resistance device relative to the flywheel, and a sensor device for measuring the magnetic resistance. The adjustment assembly includes a rod extending throughout a tube. The tube is secured to the frame and includes a stop at an end and a cover at another end. The rod includes a pinion and a thread. The thread and a portion of the pinion extend beyond the stop of the tube. The sensor device includes an axle connected to a variable resistor and a gear. The gear is engaged with the portion of the pinion that extends out of the tube. The electric resistance of the variable resistor is changeable by rotating the axle and translated into the value of the magnetic resistance.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to an exercise machine equipped with asensor device and, more particularly, to a spinning bike equipped with asensor device.

2. Related Prior Art

As disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,145,480, 5,310,392, 5,324,242 and6,569,063, an exercise machine can be equipped with a magneticresistance device to adjustably increase resistance against a person whois working out on the exercise machine. A conventional magneticresistance device includes a plurality of magnetic elements providednear a flywheel of a spinning bike for example. The magnetic elementsare used to provide magnetic resistance against spinning of theflywheel.

However, the conventional magnetic resistance device is not equippedwith any sensor device to provide a user with the value of the magneticresistance. A user has to depend on his or her feeling to adjust themagnetic resistance by feeling.

As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,950,276, a sensor device is provided fora magnetic resistance device of a spinning bike or another exercisemachine. This sensor device includes a stationary sensor IC 21 not incontact with a magnetic element 22. The magnetic element 22 is movedtowards or away from the sensor IC 21 as the magnetic resistance deviceis moved towards or away from a flywheel. Hence, a signal is producedand sent to provide the user with the value of magnetic resistanceexerted on the flywheel by the magnetic resistance device. However, thenon-contact communication of the sensor IC 21 with the magnetic element22 could be interrupted by electromagnetic waves that are abundant inour environment.

The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at leastalleviate the problems

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide aspinning bike to provide readable resistance.

To achieve the foregoing objective, the pinning bike includes a flywheelconnected to a frame, a magnetic resistance device to provide resistanceagainst spinning of the flywheel, an adjustment assembly operable tomove the magnetic resistance device relative to the flywheel, and asensor device for measuring the value of the magnetic resistance.

The adjustment assembly includes a tube and a rod. The tube is securedto the frame and formed with a stop near a lower end and a cover near anupper end. The rod includes a pinion and a thread. The rod extendsthroughout the stop and cover of the tube. The thread and a portion ofthe pinion extend beyond the stop of the tube.

The sensor device includes a variable resistor, an axle connected to thevariable resistor, a gear connected to the axle. The gear is engagedwith the portion of the pinion that extends beyond the tube.

Moreover, the adjustment assembly includes a clip engaged with the rod,a compression spring provided around the rod, and a knob attached to therod. The knob is located at an end of the rod while the thread islocated at an opposite end of the rod. The clip and the compressionspring are inserted in the tube. The compression spring is compressedbetween the clip and the stop of the tube to bias the rod back into itsoriginal position.

The magnetic resistance device includes two identical lateral plates, aconnector for pivotally connecting the lateral plates to the frame nearthe flywheel, a torque spring provided around the connector and madewith an end connected to the frame and another end connected to one ofthe lateral plates, and two groups of magnetic elements. Each group ofmagnetic elements is secured to a corresponding lateral plate, facingthe flywheel.

The spinning bike further includes a brake and a sleeve. The brake isfirmly located between the lateral plates. The sleeve includes, on aninternal side, at an end, a thread engaged with the thread of the rodand connected to the brake at another end so that the brake can swingtogether with the lateral plates.

The electric resistance is changed by rotating the axle. The electricresistance is translated into the magnetic resistance exerted on theflywheel by the magnetic resistance device, and the value of themagnetic resistance can be shown on a display provided on the spinningbike or another exercise machine to enable a user to set the magneticresistance at a desired value.

Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following description referring to the attacheddrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of thepreferred embodiment referring to the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial, side view of a spinning bike according to thepreferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is another partial, side view of the spinning bike illustrated inFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an adjustment assembly of the spinningbike shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial, cross-sectional view of the spinning bike shown inFIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a partial, cross-sectional view of the spinning bike inanother position than shown in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a spinning bike includes a frame 10, aflywheel 12, a resistance device 20, an adjustment assembly 30 and asensor device 40 according to the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention. The flywheel 12 is connected to the frame 10. The flywheel 12can be located in a front or rear portion of the frame 10. The flywheel12 can spin. The magnetic resistance device 20 is connected to a portionof the frame 10 near the flywheel 12. The magnetic resistance device 20is used to provide magnetic resistance against the spinning of theflywheel 12. The adjustment assembly 30 is operable to move the magneticresistance device 20 relative to the flywheel 12. The sensor device 40is used to measure the value of the magnetic resistance.

The magnetic resistance device 20 includes two lateral plates 21, aconnector 22, a torque spring 23 and two groups of magnetic elements 26.The connector 22 is used to pivotally connect the lateral plates 21 tothe frame 10 so that the lateral plates 21 can swing.

The lateral plates 21 are identical to each other in shape. Each lateralplate 21 is formed with an internal side that faces the other lateralplate 21. Each group of magnetic elements 26 is attached to the internalside of a corresponding lateral plate 21 by adhesion for example. Eachgroup of magnetic elements 26 is located near an end of thecorresponding lateral plate 21 while the connector 22 is located nearanother end of the lateral plate 21. The torque spring 23 is providedaround the connector 22. The torque spring 23 includes an end in contactwith the frame 10 and another end in contact with one of the lateralplates 21. Thus, the torque spring 23 tends to swing the magneticresistance device 20 about the connector 22 towards the flywheel 12.

Each group of magnetic elements 26 consists of three magnetic elements26 that face the flywheel 12. Thus, the magnetic elements 26 exertmagnetic resistance against the spinning of the flywheel 12 to reducethe speed of the spinning of the flywheel 12. Hence, a user has to cycleharder to retain the speed of the spinning of the flywheel 12. In thepreferred embodiment, the magnetic elements 26 are permanent magnets.

The adjustment assembly 30 includes a tube 31, a rod 34, a clip 35 and acompression spring 36. A middle portion of the tube 31 is connected tothe frame 10 by welding for example. The tube 31 is provided with anannular stop 32 at an end and provided with an annular cover 33 atanother end.

The rod 34 is provided with a pinion 37 and a thread 38. The pinion 37is provided on a middle portion of the rod 34. The pinion 37 is madewith a diameter larger than that of the rod 34 but smaller than that ofthe stop 32 of the tube 31. The thread 38 is located next to the pinion37. The thread 38 is located at an end of the rod while a knob 39 issecured to another end of the rod 34. The clip 35 is engaged with therod 34 to keep the compression spring 36 around the pinion 37 of the rod34.

The rod 34 extends throughout the tube 31. The clip 35 and thecompression spring 36 are inserted in the tube 31. A portion of thepinion 37 extends beyond the stop 32 of the tube 31. The thread 38 islocated out of the tube 31. The compression spring 36 is compressedbetween the stop 32 of the tube 31 and the clip 35. Hence, the rod 34cannot be detached from the tube 31.

The sensor device 40 includes a circuit (not shown) electricallyconnected to a variable resistor 42. The variable resistor 42 isconnected to a rotational axle 44. The axle 44 is connected to a gear 46at an end. The gear 46 is engaged with the portion of the pinion 37 thatextends beyond the tube 31.

The brake 50 is located between and connected to the lateral plates 21by several fasteners 24 such as screws, rivets and pins. Thus, the brake50 is secured to the magnetic resistance device 20. A sleeve 52includes, on an internal side, at an end, a thread 54 engaged with thethread 38 of the rod 34. The sleeve 52 is pivotally connected, atanother end, to a middle portion of the brake 50 by other fasteners 24.Thus, the brake 50 can swing together with the lateral plates 21.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the knob 39 is operated to spin the rod 34relative to the sleeve 52 to increase or reduce a total length of therod 34 and the sleeve 52 because of the engagement of the thread 38 withthe thread 54. Thus, the lateral plates 21 are pivoted towards or awayfrom the flywheel 12. Accordingly, the distance of the magnetic elements26 from the flywheel 12 is changed, and so is the magnetic resistanceexerted on the flywheel 12 by the magnetic resistance device 20.

The pinion 37 is spun together with the rod 34. Accordingly, the gear 46drives the axle 44 by an angle and hence changes the electric resistanceof the variable resistor 42. The circuit of the sensor device 40translates the electric resistance into the value of the magneticresistance exerted on the flywheel 12 by the magnetic resistance device20. The value of the magnetic resistance can be shown on a display (notshown) provided on an easily observable portion of the frame 10 toenable a user to know the value of the magnetic resistance.

Referring to FIG. 5, without disengaging the pinion 37 from the gear 46,the user exerts a large force on the knob 39, to move the pinion 37downwards as well as the rod 34, past the stop 32 of the tube 31. Thesleeve 52 swings the brake 50 and the magnetic resistance device 20towards the flywheel 12 until the brake 50 is brought into contact withthe periphery of the flywheel 12. Thus, adequate friction is exerted onthe periphery of the flywheel 12 to stop the spinning of the flywheel 12in emergency.

Of course, the clip 35 is moved towards the stop 32 of the tube 31 aswell as the rod 34. Thus, the compression spring 36 is compressed. Thedeformation of the compression spring 36 is increased, and so is thestress loaded in the compression spring 36. The stress is used to returnthe rod 34 into an original position once the knob 39 is released fromthe large force.

The present invention has been described via the detailed illustrationof the preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can derivevariations from the preferred embodiment without departing from thescope of the present invention. Therefore, the preferred embodimentshall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in theclaims.

1. A spinning bike including: a frame; a flywheel connected to theframe; a magnetic resistance device for providing magnetic resistanceagainst spinning of the flywheel; an adjustment assembly operable tomove the magnetic resistance device relative to the flywheel, whereinthe adjustment assembly includes: a tube secured to the frame and formedwith a stop at an end and a cover at another end; a rod extendingthroughout the tube and including a pinion and a thread so that thethread and a portion of the pinion extend beyond the stop of the tube;and a sensor device connected to the frame and used to measure themagnetic resistance, wherein the sensor device includes: a variableresistor; a rotational axle connected to the variable resistor; and agear connected to the axle and engaged with the portion of the pinionthat extends out of the tube, the electric resistance of the variableresistor is changeable by rotating the axle and translated into thevalue of the magnetic resistance exerted on the flywheel by the magneticresistance device.
 2. The spinning bike according to claim 1, whereinthe adjustment assembly further includes: a clip inserted in the tubeand engaged with the rod; and a compression spring inserted in the tube,provided around the rod, and compressed between the stop of the tube andthe clip, thus tending to return the rod into an original position. 3.The spinning bike according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment assemblyfurther includes a knob attached to an end of the rod while the threadis attached to another end of the rod.
 4. The spinning bike according toclaim 1, further including: a brake connected to the magnetic resistancedevice; and a sleeve is formed, on an internal side, at an end, with athread engaged with the thread of the rod and connected to the brake atanother end so that the brake can swing together with the magneticresistance device.
 5. The spinning bike according to claim 4, whereinthe magnetic resistance device includes: two identical lateral plates,wherein the brake is connected to an located between the lateral plates;a connector for connecting the lateral plates to the frame, near theflywheel; a torque spring provided around the connector and formed withan end in contact with the frame and another end in contact with one ofthe lateral plates; and two groups of magnetic elements, with each groupof magnetic elements attached to a corresponding one of the lateralplates, facing the flywheel.